Local Habitat team heads to Nepal for international build

A team of eight, made up of board members, volunteers and staff are trekking to Nepal to participate in Habitat for Humanity International’s Global Village Program-Everest Build II. The group plans to be in Kathmandu, Nepal, from Oct. 7 through Sunday.

Amarillo Habitat’s impact does not stop locally. A vital aspect of the Habitat vision is that families worldwide deserve simple, decent homes, so each affiliate is required to tithe a percentage of their undesignated funds annually to help build in under-developed countries.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. Nearly one quarter of its people survive on less than $1 per day. Severe floods, landslides and earthquakes are common and can threaten their homes, fields and livestock.

Poverty and a lack of jobs have led to a steady migration to the capital, Kathmandu, and other municipalities. A decade-long insurgency uprooted people from villages in search of safety. Migration and urban growth have resulted in a shortage of adequate housing, crowded living spaces and an increase in substandard housing. Structures are often made with thatched roofs and straw walls, sometimes supported by old timbers. Such dilapidated houses are hazardous. Thousands of families living in such conditions frequently lack access to clean water, adequate sanitation and electricity.

Amarillo Habitat for Humanity builds homes in partnership with hard-working, low-income families with support from the community. Homes are sold for no profit to qualifying partner families, who have prepared to be successful home owners through a series of financial stability and home education classes. These classes increase economic independence and self-reliance.

For more information about Amarillo Habitat for Humanity visit www.amarillohabitat.forhumanity.org.

For more information about the trip to Nepal, visit amarillo2nepal.blogspot.com.